How to Make a Living With Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms and challenges of multiple sclerosis can greatly impact worklife. But there are ways to engage in a fulfilling profession.

In her book Living with Chronic Illness, Cheri Register writes, “When you have a chronic condition [like MS], you have two matters to resolve. What must I do to keep this illness from impoverishing me? and What can I do now that I have physical limitations?”

The unpredictability of multiple sclerosis (MS) makes working harder. Fortunately, there are more ways to make money now than ever before. People with MS often use one or more of the following ways to make ends meet.

Run a Business

Angelee Dion, of Santa Cruz, California, has found several different ways to survive and find fulfilling work. Now 51, she started having MS symptoms in high school. After college, she worked for three years in construction. “I found it incredibly satisfying and enjoyable,” Dion says. “I would have stayed if not for balance and strength problems.”

Giving up construction work, she went back to school and learned computer-assisted design skills. Many architects need help with drafting, and Dion created a business called ArchAngel Design to fill that need. She then learned some architecture skills and started planning home improvements and renovations.

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